Went back to sports when most think of retirement: Mitalee Kamble
When most of the athletes are inching closer to their retirement age, Thane’s Mitalee Kamble decided to pursue a career in sports. In 2019, at the age of 26, when Mitalee was working as a full-time Zumba trainer at Nitro Sports Centre, she decided to go back to pistol shooting, the game she played in her college. What transpired Mitalee to take this leap of faith? In a heartfelt conversation with the editorial team of KYT, Mitalee talks about her childhood, the unwavering support of her family in realising her dream, and many more.
In the last three years, you have taken giant strides in pistol shooting. Tell us about how it all started for you.
In 2019, when I was working as a Zumba trainer at Nitro Sports Centre, I got the opportunity to manage Nitrrothon, a marathon event. Many international and national players participated in the marathon. Seeing them, I was inspired to do something in sports and represent the country. Back in Joshi Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, I was a part of the NCC battalion. I was a rifle shooter. However, after completing my BA in Geography and MA in Political Science, I started working full-time. Thanks to Pratiksha Pandhare, an executive manager at Nitro Sports Centre, I got the opportunity to work there. She had seen me managing different sporting events at the college and approached me, asking whether I would like to join their team. I accepted the offer. With a full-time job in hand, sports took a back seat. It surprisingly returned to my life, thanks to the Nitrrothon event. I quit my job after working for close to three years. I took up pistol shooting, similar to the rifle I did during my NCC days. Pistol shooting is one of the few sports which has no age barrier. Even a 50-year-old lady can play this sport and represent her country.
How were your early days in pistol shooting?
I practised at Dombivali and Thane in the beginning. In Thane, I had Ujwala ma’am as my coach. Seeing my skill and a keen interest in the sport, she advised me to go to Pune for better prospects. There are only two locations in Maharashtra with a 25m pistol shooting range. One is in Worli, and the other is in Pune. I went to Pune in December 2020. I stay as a PG with a few other shooters. I selected Pune because I found it challenging to travel daily to Worli from Thane for practice. Also, the COVID-19 imposed lockdown restrictions were more stringent in Mumbai, which meant that weapon sharing was not much possible. Therefore, my only choice was to shift my base to Pune. I joined Gun for Glory academy in Balewadi. I completed my foundation course under Sushma Nibre ma’am. Manoj Kumar Kanojia sir is my current coach. We also have mental trainers, physiotherapists, and physical trainers, who help us with our game.
What was your practice schedule, and how has it changed over time?
In the beginning, I practised for two hours every day. I did holding and lifting exercises to strengthen my muscles. Meditation also forms an important part of training. Pistol shooting is a 99 percent mental game, so mental training is paramount. Besides this, every Sunday, we have yoga sessions. At present, I train for three hours. In 2021, trained for six hours when I used to participate in both 10m and 25m events. However, my doctor advised me to focus on only one event after suffering from an injury. Since then, I have been working on 25m pistol shooting. Unlike for 10m, we use actual arms, ammunition, and bullet powder for 25m events.
Who has been your role model?
When I was in junior college, I got a chance to meet Anjali Bhagwat and Tejaswini Sawant. As a part of the NCC battalion, we performed in front of them. Both of them have great personalities. They also started their journeys from NCC and went all the way up to winning medals for India at the Commonwealth Games.
Did you play any other sports while growing up?
In Bedekar school, I played kho-kho at the state level. Besides this, during my college days, when I was a part of the NCC, I played various timing-based sports that are a part of Army training. I have also played the shot put. The fact that my mother played dodgeball at the district level during her younger days may have inspired me to choose a career in sports.
Do you follow any particular diet?
Swati ma’am, one of my colleagues at Nitro, has suggested a diet plan. I stick to that. Having a balanced diet is vital for any athlete. Besides this, I make dietary changes in line with the weather. For instance, I consume more non-vegetarian food in winter than in summer.
In these three years, has there been any challenging phase?
Yes, there have been a few times when I have felt like quitting the sport altogether and coming back home. There was a period when I had some poor performances. I used to call up my parents and discuss my feelings. However, they always gave me confidence and motivated me to do well in future competitions. Alongside my parents, my younger brother, who is also in Pune, has been my pillar of strength.
What is your ultimate dream?
I want to represent India at the Olympics. However, I want to focus on the trials, which will begin in January 2023. If I do well in the trials, I have a strong chance of making it to the India squad composed of the top 10 players in the country.
Achievements
2022: Selected for Maharashtra state Olympics games 2022-23
2022: Silver medal at the 20th Kumar Surendra Singh Shooting Championship (team Maharashtra)
2022: Bronze medal at the 65th National Shooting Championship (team Maharashtra)
2021: Silver medal at the 24 Captain Ezekiel Memorial Maharashtra State Shooting Championship
2021: 4th position at the 8th West Zone Shooting Championship
2021: Bronze medal at the 30th All India GV Mavalankar Shooting Championship
2021: 19th position at the 64th National Shooting ChampionshipWhen I was in junior college, I got a chance to meet Anjali Bhagwat and Tejaswini Sawant. As a part of the NCC battalion, we performed in front of them. Both of them have great personalities. They also started their journeys from NCC and went all the way up to winning medals for India at the Commonwealth Games.